Tag: east finals

Celtics upgrade Gordon Hayward to ‘Doubtful’ for Game 2 vs Heat

The Boston Celtics are signaling that veteran forward Gordon Hayward is getting closer to a return.

The Boston Celtics have upgraded veteran forward Gordon Hayward’s status for Game 2 of the team’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Miami Heat, but don’t expect to see the Indiana native lacing them up come Thursday just yet.

While it wouldn’t be out of the question, his status has only changed from “Out” to “Doubtful,” which of course means that it is still unlikely that he’ll play, at least based on the information the Celtics were working with when they made that call.

While Boston has done better with Miami’s zone defense than some expected — in part because they used it less than might have been expected — they could also desperately use Hayward’s playmaking, scoring, defense and depth against a deep and canny Heat.

So, while it is unlikely the Butler product will take the court come Thursday, it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see him planned to return in the next game of the series, with Game 3 schedule to take place this Saturday.

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PHOTOS: Boston Celtics player salaries for 2019-20, future seasons

Stevens: Celtics need to be ‘better in transition,’ play less ISOball

The Boston Celtics took their foot off the gas up 14 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 against the Miami Heat in the East Finals, and it cost them dearly.

The Boston Celtics had the Miami Heat right where they wanted them in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals series.

Until they didn’t.

Up 14 points early in the game’s fourth quarter, the Celtics took their foot off the gas, playing sloppy defense and ISOball that allowed the Heat to claw their way back into the game, forcing overtime and the eventual 117 – 114 loss.

After the game, head coach Brad Stevens was asked what it was about Miami that enabled them to keep star point guard Kemba Walker cold and Boston off-balance late in the game more generally.

“Some of the guards were able to keep in front with their lengths, and then Bam [Adebayo] was switching a ton of pick and rolls all day,” explained Stevens.

“Bam’s a tremendous defender, so we’re going to have to figure out, again, better ways to attack, especially late,” he added. “I thought we really moved it at times, and then we did get stuck.”

“The fouls killed us, and then the transition, with our transition defense. In addition to playing slower and pounding the ball more so we just got to be a lot better in all those areas. These games go back and forth like this. We were down six I think and then took that lead. We got to play better though, and transition defense really stands out. That Hierro 3 with a minute left and regulation was a killer.”

“But there were multiple other plays that led up to that, that I thought let them back in.”

Stevens stood by his immediate assessment the next day as well.

“What I said yesterday stood out more than anything was a transition defense, [which] was just really bad. To their credit, they attacked us all night down the floor, and … some of those plays in the fourth, where we gave up layups and or got lost on some 3s hurt us. So we’ve just got to clean that up, we’ve got to be a lot better in transition. I think we got to be a lot better on some of their actions, though we guarded other actions well. And then we need to know what to react [to]. We need to know what not to overreact to from an action standpoint.”

“So, those are things that we talked about on the defensive end, we’ll look to play better,” he added.

And play better they will need to do for a full 48 minutes to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole to start the series.

Trailing for the first time this postseason, Boston has learned a painful lesson about the margin for error against this highly-motivated Heat squad.

It’s small enough to be virtually nonexistent, meaning bad habits must be expunged as soon as they re-emerge, and every player will be called on to play like their best selves for every second of game time they can muster.

Perfection won’t be needed from Boston to advance in this series, but something not far from to it will be, if what we saw on Tuesday was any sign of what’s to come.

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WATCH: Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics-Miami Heat East Finals highlights

Watch this video for all of Boston Celtics All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum’s highlights from Game 1 of the East Finals against the Miami Heat.

Boston Celtics All-Star small forward Jayson Tatum had a solid night against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it wasn’t enough to get his team across the finish line with a win, the Celtics dropping the contest to the Heat 117 – 114.

Tatum’s comparative inaccuracy shooting was certainly a component, the Duke product going 10-for-24 overall and just 4-of-12 from beyond the arc on the night Boston shot 44.3% overall — while Miami shot 44.4% from 3-point range.

The St. Louis native scored 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in the loss over 43 minutes of playing time, the most points of any player in the game for either team.

The Celtics will need Tatum to connect more efficiently in Game 2 to have a chance in this series, and Boston will have a chance on Thursday night to right the ship.

Until then, watch the video embedded above to see all of Tatum’s highlights from Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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WATCH: Boston Celtics – Miami Heat Game 1 East Finals highlights

Watch this video to see all of the Boston Celtics highlights from their Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat in the 2020 East Finals Tuesday evening.

The Boston Celtics dropped a close one to the Miami Heat in overtime, falling 117 – 114 despite holding a 14-point lead early in the game’s fourth quarter.

Jayson Tatum led all players with 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, and Marcus Smart added 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc.

Kemba Walker chipped in 19 points, 6 assists and a block, and Jaylen Brown 17 points, 5 boards and a steal while Brad Wanamaker scored 11 points, 6 assists and 5 steals (yes, you read that right) off of the bench.

The Celtics now trail in a series for the first time in the 2020 NBA postseason, but get a chance to even the score on Thursday evening in Game 2.

Watch the video embedded above to see Boston’s full game highlights in their Game 1 loss to get an idea of what the Celtics can do to tighten up for the next game.

We all know they’ll be watching this game again, closely.

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Boston Celtics drop Game 1 in overtime as Miami Heat win 117-114

The Boston Celtics stumbled late in overtime to see the Miami Heat take a 1-0 series lead with a 117-114 Game 1 win.

The Boston Celtics came out guns ablaze against the Miami Heat, wasting no time attacking the Heat from the moment they gained possession.

Miami won the tip, but the Celtics’ defense made life miserable for the Heat, Boston jumping out to am 8-14 lead behind early offense from Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

A Kemba Walker jumper and another Tatum 3 would push the lead to 11 as Miami’s offense started showing signs of life…just as Boston’s went supernova.

A trey from Kendrick Nunn calmed Boston down a bit, and Miami cut the lead to six off of a Goran Dragic layup. Jaylen Brown got himself to the line, converting both, to carry a 26-18 lead into the second.

Tatum nailed another 3-pointer to start the second frame, and Brad Wanamaker got on the board soon after. The two teams traded makes for the next several possessions, Boston hanging on to its multiple-possession lead throughout.

A 9-2 run sparked by Dragic was capped by a 3 from Andre Iguodala, forcing a Celtics timeout. Miami cut the lead to two with a 3 from Duncan Robinson, and Jimmy Butler would take a 39-38 lead with six to play in the half.

A Wanamaker floater would wrest the lead back, and the teams went back to trading buckets until a Bam Adebayo jumper gave the Heat a five-point lead. Smart and Brown cut the lead to two, and a trey from Brown would send the game into the break tied at 55.

The penultimate frame began with Crowder converting what could have been a jump ball off a miss into a layup, and Butler would extend the lead to five. A pair of treys from Smart and Walker would take the lead back, but not for long.

Yet again, the teams traded blows until Boston got some separation off of a Kelly Olynyk technical foul, the Celtics going up 74-69 with just under two minutes left in the frame.

Boston added to its lead with a 3 from Tatum, and another from Grant Williams gave the Cs their largest lead at nine points. Walker would get to the line, fouled shooting a 3-pointer and sending Boston into the fourth 83-71.

Walker would hit a jumper to open the fourth, Dragic cutting the lead to 85-77. The Celts came back with a 4-0 run to push the lead to 92-82 with 8:19 left to play. Dragic and Adebayo sparked a 5-0 lead to cut the lead to four points with 6:30 to go, the Celtics calling another time out up 94-90.

A quick foul on Dragic out of the timeout would see the Heat call one of their own as they challenged the foul of Walker shooting a 3. The challenge was successful, and Hierro sent Walker to the line with 3:30 to play to put Boston up six and triggering a Miami timeout.

Hierro hit a 3 out of the break to cut it to a single possession, but Theis hit back with a quick make. Butler hit a 3 with 22 seconds to go to put Miami up 1, Boston calling a timeout. Derrick Jones Jr. fouled away from the ball out of the timeout, Tatum making one of two to send the game to overtime.

Butler sent Tatum right back to the line, converting both. Walker scored soon after to give Boston a 110-106 lead, but Dragic got to the line to cut it to two, Theis fouling out. Crowder hit a 3 to take the lead, and an Adebayo dunk put the Heat up 113-110.

Brown came back with a tip-in, but a Walker blocking foul forced a Boston timeout for an unsuccessful coaches’ challenge. The UConn product would hit a clutch jumper with 23 seconds remaining to give Boston a 114-113 lead, but Butler hit back with an and-1 to give Miami a 116-114 lead.

Boston would send Adebayo to the line to convert one, sealing the win for the Heat 117-114.

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PHOTOS: Boston Celtics player salaries for 2019-20, future seasons

Gordon Hayward OUT for Game 1 vs Miami Heat, but nearing a return

Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward is close to a return to action — but not in Game 1 of the team’s East Finals series with the Miami Heat.

Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward seems to be progressing well with his sprained ankle, and appears poised to return to action soon.

Just not in Game 1 of his team’s East Finals matchup with the Miami Heat.

Ruled out by the team in Monday’s injury report, the Indiana native went through a “hard practice” apart from the rest of the team on Monday according to head coach Brad Stevens.

“He looked good while he was going through it, but there’s a big difference between doing that and actually getting into a game,” explained Stevens.

“I don’t know what that officially means moving forward, but he’s getting better.”

 

The Celtics coach was non-committal on when Hayward might exit the Disney restart bubble for the birth of his child, but seemed confident the wing would play in the series at some point.

Hayward’s initial diagnosis of four weeks for recovery in the first round of the NBA playoffs put his earliest return date as today, and while initially seen as optimistic, it now appears to have been a fairly solid estimate given the Butler product’s progress.

Hayward’s ability in the midrange would be an incredibly useful tool for busting the zone defense the Heat have used for much of the season, as would the additional depth he would provide to the rotation against a team adept at drawing fouls.

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How to watch or stream Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 1, Round 3

These are all the ways you can watch Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

The Boston Celtics fought and clawed their way past the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors to get to the East Finals, but Banner 18 has not been hung yet.

Eight more wins are required for such an unprecedented honor, and the next four will have to come at the expense of the Miami Heat.

Still considered something of an underdog despite having dispatched the top team of the regular season in the Milwaukee Bucks and presumptive Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami will be a formidable threat the Celtics will need their very best to advance beyond.

Led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat eat at the perimeter and the rim — two places Boston has done well at denying opponents, though none as skilled as their Floridian foes in those two areas.

If you’re wondering how to watch the game, we’ve got a variety of options for you to consider.

If you live in New England and your cable provider carries NBC Boston Sports, they’ll be broadcasting the game on that channel, and you can use their “MyTeams” app or NBCSportsBoston.com to stream the game if you’d prefer a more modern way of watching.

Similarly, the contest will be broadcast nationally by ESPN if you happen to have that channel in your cable package, and cord-cutters outside of NEw England can use any of several pay-to-play services to watch.

Some of the best of that group include NBA TV, NBA League Pass, Hulu + and FuboTV.

Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time — and don’t forget to bring your popcorn for the Goran Dragic-Marcus Smart fiesta of grifting that’s certain to ensue.

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CLAB 15: Previewing the Miami-Boston Eastern Conference Finals

Tune in as we break down what to expect from the series ahead, as well as a quick look back and around the rest of the NBA postseason.

The Boston Celtics survived the Toronto Raptors only to collide with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Their third trip to this stage in four seasons, in this episode of the Celtics Lab podcast, we break down what we ought to be expecting from our Floridian foes in the Celtics’ quest to hang Banner 18.

Who guards who? Who wins the battle of the coaches? And how many wins will it take for the Celtics to advance? Will the Celtics advance?

Join Celtics Lab’s Topher Lane, Off the Glass’ Alex Goldberg, Celtics Hub’s Cam Tabatabaie and Celtics Wire’s Justin Quinn as they dive into the coming series in roundtable format while getting us up to speed on all the other playoff action.

And as always, if you like what you hear, please rate us five stars — and if you have a bone to pick with something, let us know in a comment on any social media platform with the hashtag #CLPOD.

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Heat’s strengths amplified by Iggy, Crowder additions, says Stevens

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens thinks the Miami Heat’s additions of ex-Celtic Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala makes them a harder team to beat.

While it might feel like a decade ago in this topsy-turvy season, the Miami Heat added former Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder and — most recently with the Memphis Grizzlies — Andre Iguodala at the trade deadline, and Boston head coach Brad Stevens credits the duo for much of Miami success since.

“The Iguodala and Crowder acquisitions at the trade deadline were huge, and you knew that right when they happened,” offered Stevens.

And while it would be a bit much to say the mid-season hiatus helped the Heat, having the additional camp environment in the Disney restart scrimmage games certainly didn’t hurt integrating the pair into the Miami way, either.

“Usually the trade deadline, you’re getting more comfortable as the playoffs arrive, and then you’re hoping to peak but now you get a whole training camp in advance of the seeding games and then the playoffs,” he added.

“But, everybody’s been in that same boat,” observed the Celtics coach.

“We’ve talked about the value here and having continuity with that, but … those two guys made them better when they got them, that was going to be clear.”

“I think the opportunity for them to play small ball with even more versatility and to surround those great shooters with more skill, but also guys that could guard the best players on the other teams for multiple possessions or ends of games or those types of things has added a great deal to their team. Both those guys are smart, both those guys are winners, they both do what they do really, really well, and we saw that with Crowder here. He’s shooting great, he’s a really smart player, he’s a competitive guy, and he fits right in with that team and it allowed him — [on a] team that started big all year — allowed him to start Adebayo at the five, with all that floor spacing.”

“Now everybody’s strengths are that much more amplified,” added Stevens.

While the Celtics are much better-constructed to face a team like Miami compared to the Toronto Raptors, the versatility that Crowder brings and the veteran presence and quick hands of Iguodala present a challenge unlike anything they saw from the Raptors on the wing.

And while there is familiarity with Crowder on this roster, he’s playing as well as he ever did with the Celtics for Miami — will Boston’s young wing duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum be up to the challenge of covering this pair of Heat forwards?

If what we’ve seen from them in the first two rounds continues, we’re inclined to say yes.

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